Clouds Over Riverside Drive - Friday 8/11/2006

The light was incredible this morning! I jumped out of my car to take this.

Happy Birthday to An-na Bahabek, if you’re reading this.

The Horse Lady - Wednesday 8/9/2006

This woman lives in my town. She is magic on horseback. She rides around barefoot, often riding like this, with one foot on the back of each horse.

She rides like this in the Acton 4th of July Parade. When we first moved out here and went to the parade, I heard some people talking about her. Saying that she’s good with horses, but not much else. And that she’s raising her son to be the same way, caring only about horses and not so much about school work. They said she was kind of crazy.

I think we can do with more of that kind of crazy in the world. And wouldn’t it be better to have a life that includes moments like these than to be, say, a really great auto parts store manager?

This looks to me like courage and strength and a direct connection to the universe.

5:27 a.m on the Vincent Grade - Tuesday 8/8/2006

Waiting for the train to take me to work. I have been driving lately because sometimes I can leave work early and that’s not an option with the train.

But yesterday’s car troubles drove me back into the arms of Metrolink.

I was talking to my mother on my cell phone when I took this photo. Hey, Mom, here’s what I was looking at when the whistle blew!

That's the front light on the train glowing there near the horizon line, under the street lights. I have other shots of the train closer, but the sunrise doesn't show as well in those.

Oh, and it was Hydra's and my anniversary yesterday. He sent a big glossy plant to my office to rough me up-- er, I mean as a gift! It's a very energetic plant, I think.

The Freeway is Safe from Vampires - Monday 8/7/2006

So. Yesterday on my drive home I ran out of gas. This does not happen to me. My gas gauge read 1/4 of a tank and I was planning to get gasoline just two exits up the 14 at the place next to the grocery store.

But the car felt like it was failing, so I eased it over to the side of the freeway and way off the side. Phooey.

Called AAA, but I thought it was probably something other than being out of gas, because I don’t run out of gas. Long story short, Hydra (D’s new online nickname. Don’t ask, just smile), came and sat with me while I waited an hour for the AAA guy to show up with a can of gas. We took the car to the dealer for service…where they will charge us $82 just for diagnosing the problem if the repair isn’t under warrenty. And they wonder why I’m not there for my regular service. Grrr.

Anyway! Hydra and I were sitting beside the road with the passenger side door open to let some air in, and I began casting about for the day’s photo. He’s been watching his Buffy The Vampire Slayer DVDs for the past few weeks, and he noticed this handy vamp-spike lying just outside the car.

I felt so safe.

In other news, by the time I get my car back from the dealership it will, no doubt, cost me an additional 50 cents a gallon to commute. Sigh.

The Moon and Me, Over Acton - Sunday 8/6/2006

Okay, first off, I'd like to note that I spent a good portion of the day on Sunday lying on the bench on my front porch reading my sister's novel! I'm lucky to come from a creative family. Her book is a very interesting look into long haul trucking. Wouldn't it be cool if we someday were able to promote our books together?

(For any of you who are looking closely, that's Dodger in his travel cage just behind my knee. He's getting used to spending time outside like this and wasn't even wigged out when the wind blew his cage cover off!)


After lazing around switching between reading Sister P's book and Moby Dick, D invited me to go for a hike around 7 o’clock. Wow, was it beautiful out there. We went up to the top of the ridge and hiked along it for a while. It was windy, but otherwise mild. Nice topper to a gorgeous day.

Yup, that's me on the trail. I think the shadow is slimming!

Birdhouse - Saturday 8/5/2006

My mother painted this lovely birdhouse.

It’s on my front porch. I took this while sitting out there after doing a lot of yardwork.